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Defensive scheme With another Watt

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by steelcityclash, Mar 25, 2018.

  1. steelcityclash

    steelcityclash Well-Known Member

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    hi all, I’ve never posted but have followed the forum for years. I’ve always been impressed with peoples knowledge about defensive schemes. After rewatching the jags game and watching us give up ridiculous amounts of yards on the ground especially in crucial times, I had a Question for you all. If we were able to acquire jj watt via trade, what would it take to run a scheme with tuit, cam, watt and possibly gravedigger. Being that we now are in sub packages the majority of time, I’m not sure if that would be possible or even make sense. Can some of you gurus give me pro and cons of such a scheme? Who would have to come off the field?

    If the stars aligned, bell signed, and we could work out a trade with the Texans. Would you do it?
    Watt signed a deal in 2014, he’s had injuries the last two years, but if healthy can still be one of the best imo. His contract was worth 100 million but a significant amount of his salary would be reduced if traded I believe. I think he’d be cheaper per year than a bell 15 mill a year deal. Watts 29 but could add elite depth to our dL, help with containing the run, create one of the most feared pass rushing lines in the league and help teach TJ. Not to mention he’s a stand up teammate and a class act.

    Bell has serious mileage, some baggage, but is still the best back in the league. I have serious doubts he’ll be on our team next year. The Texans would be excited to add bell with Hopkins and Watson.
    If we are gonna lose bell anyway, and could draft a back like guice along with a linebacker and safety with the other picks in the first 3 rounds of the draft, would that make steeler nation happy?
    Again I haven’t looked into it but i think the Texans would eat all of the guaranteed money in a trade and watt might come cheaper than bell at 15+ mill a year.

    Interested in hearing some thoughts/ discussions ...
     
  2. AFan

    AFan Well-Known Member

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    Trading JJ the year after he raised a gazillion dollars in hurricane relief for the Houston area might easily be the worst PR move ever made by a professional sports franchise. It would less popular than Pirate management trading McCutcheon AND shooting his dog on his way out of town.
     
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 4
  3. steelcityclash

    steelcityclash Well-Known Member

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    After further review of jj watts contract, the Texans have an out on his contract after this year. His contract runs through 2021 with a cap hit of 15mill for 2018 and 2019, 15.5 mill in 2020 and 17.5 mill in 2021; however, if he was traded to us we’d be on the hook for his base salary only: 11 mil 2018, 13 mill 2019, 15.5 in 2020 and 17.5 mill in 2021. We could cut him at any point without having any dead money on the books.
    Rarely does anyone not playing QB finish out their blockbuster contract. Obviously after 2019 we’d cut him or ask for a pay cut. Would he do it to finish his career with his brother and have a real chance at getting a Super Bowl? Would the opportunity cost be worth acquiring him to sure up our def vs signing bell. Probably would never happen but I’d be all for it.
     
  4. steelcityclash

    steelcityclash Well-Known Member

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    Good point Afan and I realize that, but they’d be getting potentially the best back in the league and it’s not like the potential of Hopkins, Watson and bell is nothing in return. Can they justify paying a player who has been injured the last two years the remaining amount of his contract even if he did raise all that money? That’s a tough question.
     
  5. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    Nevermind his cap hit but his injury history is not very good either. Schematically though, it could be kept the same as you can rotate all three and could create devastating results.


    However, as Afan stated, I do not think that Art Rooney II would enjoy the vibrant level of "fan mail" he would receive should a trade as immense as that ever be authorized and completed.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  6. AFan

    AFan Well-Known Member

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    The comments above focus on the risk to the Steelers of getting JJ Watt- his cap hit, his injury history etc. I'd argue that the risk the Texans take in getting the so-called 'best back in the league' is at least as great. Bell has an injury history too, he's one drug test away from a long suspension, he's had a high workload that may be wearing him out.
    If I'm the Texans, and I feel I need a RB to go with Watson and Hopkins, I'll keep Watt and draft a RB. The draftee will come cheaper and won't have the mileage.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  7. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    No thanks with JJ injury history and his contract.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  8. Blitz

    Blitz Well-Known Member

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    I'd take JJ 10 times out of 10 are you kidding?
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  9. steelcityclash

    steelcityclash Well-Known Member

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    Both good points! Something worth mentioning is bell’s ability to pass protect. It’s second to none. Texans can’t afford to lose Watson again. I have a strong feeling Someone is gonna pay bell. It’s a perfect opportunity for them to surround Watson with proven offensive weapons. To my knowledge, No rb in this years draft is known for pass protection.

    I actually think the hype would be insane. Watt brothers together. As an organization, the Texans are stuck in a tough situation. Paying a player not based on his performance but on his good deeds is hard to justify. The Texans are a business and bringing in the leagues best running back will bring huge excitement for Houston and help offset some anger fans may have. Fact is watt could be gone next year anyway.

    My fear is if cam or tuit gets hurt we’re in a world of trouble again. We need to make an offense one dimensional. Stopping the run is a must. Having a line teams fear would be huge step forward. If there were some packages that could put cam tuit watt and gravedigger on the field together could be epic.
     
  10. bigbenhotness

    bigbenhotness Well-Known Member

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    IF this was a healthy Watt with little injury history in his prime... hell yeah! I would trade Bell, Bryant, Tuitt for him LOL.

    Prime JJ is another one of those breeds, a phenom.
     
  11. We need a change

    We need a change Well-Known Member

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    He was a good player, just doesn’t have any durability. You can’t put that kind of money into a injury-laden player.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  12. steelcityclash

    steelcityclash Well-Known Member

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    Does it make a difference if none of his salary is guaranteed. 11 mill in 2018 and 13 in 2019?
    Remember We could cut him at any time with no dead money. It would not be a Woodley situation where it killed our cap for years.

    You’re right it feels like he’s been off the field a lot and he has for the last two years, but from 2011, when he was drafted, until 2016 he never missed a game and had 74.5 sacks in his first five years!

    In 2016 he played 3 games before needing surgery to repair a herniated disk. After rehabbing and raising a bunch of money for hurricane relief, He said his back felt great and was ready to go last year; unfortunately, he broke a bone in his tibia after 5 games. His injuries worry me less because they aren’t the same nagging issue, especially last year as it was a broken bone (nothing you can do).

    I would view it similar to Haden, a guy who had some injury questions as well. We are paying him 11.9 million in 2018 and 2019 and his contract involves guaranteed money.
     
  13. Ender

    Ender

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    I'd do the deal in a second.

    And like AQL said you could run the same defensive sets.

    It's fun to think about. Especially since this is probably our last year with Bell anyway.
     
  14. Disco1981

    Disco1981 Well-Known Member

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    Ok...Since we're talking hypotheticals...We get JJ...Who plays where in our 3-4
     
  15. Disco1981

    Disco1981 Well-Known Member

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    I would think we would have to go to a 4-3...Gravedigger and Cam inside, JJ and Tuitt outside...OLB's TJ and Dupree, Bostic in the Middle..Could we do this personnel wise, and incorporate time wise?
     
  16. steelcityclash

    steelcityclash Well-Known Member

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    Ya, I’d love to see us in a hybrid defense. Switching between 3-4 and 4-3 as a base defense. We’ve done some of this last year in fact. However we are in sub packages a lot more now.

    Ex. Big nickel

    LDE - JJ Watt or TJ WAtt
    LDT - Cam Heyward
    RDT - Javon Hargrave
    RDE - Tuitt
    LB - TJ Watt/ Bostic
    LB - Dupree/ Williams
    CB - Haden
    CB - Burns
    Big nickel - Hilton or Sutton
    Safety - Sean Davis or Sutton
    Safety - Burnett or Wilcox

    * Dupree wasn’t very effective when we used him as our LDE. Use TJ and Dupree as our linebackers where they’re versatile and fast enough to drop back or contain the run.

    I’d like to hear from some people that are more savvy and knowledgeable about defensive schemes than I am.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  17. blackandgoldpatrol

    blackandgoldpatrol Well-Known Member

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    If the price was right contractually, I would do it... in a rotation with Heyward and tuitt, we could protect that bad back of his
     
  18. BigBensBigBong

    BigBensBigBong Well-Known Member

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    Seems to me JJ Watt is like a car with high mileage and a bunch of dents.
     

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